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KMFDM (USA)

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(en.wikipedia.org) KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated as "no pity for the majority") is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project. KMFDM has released seventeen studio albums and two dozen singles, with sales of more than two million records worldwide.

The band's music has been described as industrial, industrial rock, industrial metal, and techno-industrial. While recognized along with Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Skinny Puppy as pioneers in introducing industrial music to mainstream audiences, KMFDM describes its sound as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". Konietzko once stated, "If I was to give myself a label it would be industrial-alternative-electronic-crossover-rock and danceabilly."

The band has made heavy use of guitars since its inception, and pioneered their use during the band's early days in Germany. Although not a metal fan, Konietzko said his "infatuation with ripping off metal licks" stemmed from his experiments with E-mu's Emax sampler in late 1986, adding, "What I always hated most about heavy metal was that the best riffs came only once and were never repeated. So the fascination, actually, was to sample a great riff, loop it, and play it over and over again." While the album Don't Blow Your Top was more sparse in content, due to the influence of producer Sherwood, it was the exception rather than the rule. Ministry founder and frontman Al Jourgensen, on tour with the band in 1989, described KMFDM as "a battalion of guitars marching through Europe."

KMFDM's music has since been a fusion of electronic and heavy metal, with occasional elements of dub, as well as orchestral samples and live horns. Many songs feature prominent backing vocals by female singers such as Dorona Alberti, Travis, and Cifarelli. Many of the musicians who have played in the band are multi-instrumentalists, so there is a degree of versatility and freedom in the music.